Macbeth Reading Guide Act I Qs 1.

The play opens with the witches to create a supernatural setting and introduce evil into the play. Many Renaissance audience members believed in witchcraft. The witches create suspense about Macbeth. They discuss the recent battles in which Macbeth fought. 2. Duncan rewards Macbeth by giving him the title of the captured traitor, the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth finds this out through Ross, Duncans messenger, AFTER the witches prophesized that Macbeth was the Thane of Cawdor. 3. The day of battle is foul and fair: Fair that they won and defeated the traitors and foul that they lost their once loyal friends. 4. When Ross gives the news of Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth is amazed and speechless. Banquo is shocked. 5. Malcolm is an obstacle between Macbeth and the throne. Macbeth either remains a thane or must find some way to remove Malcolm in order to become king. It seems likely that Macbeth will plot Malcolms murder. 6. Lady Macbeth fears her husband is too womanly and weak. He lacks manliness. 7. Lady Macbeth counsels her husband to put on a false face. Show kindness to Duncan, but plot an evil scheme (be a serpent who will strike). 8. Duncan and Banquo discuss how lovely and peaceful Inverness is as they approach. The air has a pleasant odor and the baby birds are happy in their nests. This creates dramatic irony because the Macbeths have planned to murder the innocent Duncan. 9. Macbeth believes the murder is wrong because it betrays a double trust. Duncan is a guest in Macbeths house and also the king. Macbeth has a duty has host and loyal subject. Duncan is so beloved by the Scots that his death would sent the country into a state of misery. 10. Lady Macbeth taunts Macbeth into killing Duncan. She says he is a coward and not a man. She insults his masculinity.

Act II 1. Banquo notices that the stars are not shining that night. He calls heaven thrifty for conserving its light power. He expresses anxiety over his inability to sleep and asks nature for help, Merciful powers. 2. Macbeth imagines he sees a dagger. He probably imagines seeing it at this time because he is approaching Duncans sleeping chamber. It is a projection of his fear. 3. Lady Macbeth claims she has become bold as the plan unfolds. All is going according to the plan, and once the guards are drugged, she is confident they will pull off the murder. 4. Duncans death would be difficult to make appear realistic on a Renaissance stage. 5. Macbeths mind is plagued with fear and anxiety. He states he has murdered sleep. His mind can never rest again. 6. Lady Macbeth is much more practical. She smears blood on the faces of the guards and returns the daggers. She says a little water clears us of this deed while Macbeth exaggerates and says not all the water in the oceans can clean off the blood. 7. The porter scene provides comic relief in one of the most tragic moments in the play the murder of Duncan and the slaughter of his two guards. When Macduff finds the body, he and Duncans sons are distraught. 8. Macbeth says that there is nothing of any value left in life, all is but toys. One meaning is that nothing can replace the invaluable king and another meaning relates to his own destruction of peace of mind. 9. Malcolm and Donalbain fear a conspiracy and decide to flee to save their lives. Running away will put suspicion on them. 10. The old man tells Ross about unnatural events in nature. There is a reversal of order; life is out of joint. This parallels the disorder in the universe when regicide occurs. Killing a

king is a damnable sin. Other unnatural elements: the witches, the solar eclipse